Department for Transport

Transport for London: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy that the additional funding for Transport for London which his Department is negotiating will include capital projects.

Rachel Maclean: We are currently in discussions with Transport for London and the Mayor on a further extraordinary funding agreement. The Mayor has many choices to make to balance the books of Transport for London over the long term. When he has made those choices, they will become conditions attached to support from the UK taxpayer. It would be inappropriate to disclose any further details while those discussions are ongoing.

Railways: Passengers and Tickets

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on (a) passenger volumes and (b) ticket revenues on the rail network in (b) March to October (a) 2020 and (b) 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Information on the number of rail passenger journeys and ticket revenue is collected within the rail industry’s LENNON (Latest Earnings Network Nationally Over Night) ticketing and revenue database, to which the Department is granted access on a strictly confidential basis. The information requested is not currently available in the public domain, however with the agreement of the rail industry some information is made available, which you may find of interest. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department publish data comparing daily rail journeys since March 2020 to an equivalent day last year. This information is updated on the website below on a weekly basis: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/transport-use-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic Additionally, The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publish data on journey numbers and revenue in a quarterly statistical release. The latest statistics, which cover up to the end of June 2020, can be found on their website: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/passenger-rail-usage/

Railways

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of potential future patterns of rail demand; and what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the rail industry on anticipating future demand.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has made no formal assessment of future rail demand. The Department has conducted some rail demand scenarios which take a range of assumptions on potential drivers including economic forecasts and the potential duration of Covid restrictions. These assumptions are subject to ongoing update, refinement and review. The Department has had discussions on different approaches to assessing rail demand with Network Rail, Train Operating Companies and Sub-National Transport bodies.

Railways: Passengers

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number of rail journeys made in (a) peak and (b) off peak fare times in the last quarter of (a) 2020 and (b) the same quarter in 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department does not hold this information. Information on the number of rail passenger journeys by ticket type is collected within the rail industry’s LENNON (Latest Earnings Network Nationally Over Night) ticketing and revenue database, for which the Department has an access agreement. However, information about the time and date a journey took place is not recorded as many tickets, such as season tickets, offer flexibility in travel times.

Cycleways

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure both safe vehicle access and cycle safety when introducing new cycle lanes.

Chris Heaton-Harris: On 28 July the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost cycling and walking, with the aim that half of all journeys in towns and cities are cycled or walked by 2030. The plan includes a number of commitments which will deliver increased safety for cyclists, including the roll-out of segregated cycle lanes in towns and cities, a big increase in cycle training, higher safety standards for lorries and improved Cycle Infrastructure Design Guidance. The management of local roads, including provision of cycle lanes, is the responsibility of individual local traffic authorities. It is for them to ensure their streets are designed to provide safe movement for all road users. Design advice for cycling infrastructure, including cycle lanes, can be found in Local Transport Note 1/20 ‘Cycle Infrastructure Design’ which is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-120.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Redundancy

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2020 to Question 98870, how many proposed redundancies were indicated on HR1 forms received by the Redundancy Payments Service in each of the last 12 months.

Paul Scully: Forms received from all employers where there are proposals to dismiss 20 or more employees at an establishment, over the last 12 months, are set out in the following table:MonthNumber of HR1 Forms received from all employersNumber of proposed dismissals on HR1sSep 1930326,716Oct 1934323,882Nov 1930527,820Dec 1919616,733Jan 2037229,884Feb 2032928,674Mar 2048544,465Apr 2044762,443May 2087173,331Jun 201,888155,739Jul 201,784149,688Aug 2096658,056Sep 201,73482,029Please note that employers are only required to file a Form HR1 where they are “proposing” to dismiss 20 or more employees at a single “establishment”.“Propose” and “establishment” have distinct meanings in this context.The aggregate number could include proposed dismissals due to insolvency, restructuring of a solvent/continuing business, changes to terms and conditions, or proposed relocation of employees, for example.It should also be noted that a proposal to make a given number of dismissals does not necessarily result in all or any of the proposed dismissals occurring.

Carbon Dioxide: Storage

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2020 to Question 101040, if he will list the carbon dioxide storage licences declined by the Oil and Gas Authority.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2020 to Question 101040, the Oil and Gas Authority has received two applications for a carbon dioxide storage licence. In both cases the Oil and Gas Authority granted the carbon dioxide storage licence to the applicant. There have been no further applications to the Oil and Gas Authority for a carbon dioxide storage licence.

Carbon Dioxide: Storage

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2020 to Question 101040, how many carbon dioxide storage licence applications have been received by the Oil and Gas Authority.

Kwasi Kwarteng: Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2020 to Question 101040, the Oil and Gas Authority has received two applications for a carbon dioxide storage licence.A complete, public register of carbon dioxide storage licences is held on the Oil and Gas Authority’s website (https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/licensing-consents/carbon-storage/). This register includes licences issued prior to the Oil and Gas Authority being formed and becoming a licensing authority for carbon dioxide storage.

Electricity Generation

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps with Ofgem to amend the emerging RIIO-ED2 framework so that Distribution Network Operators are encouraged to optimise voltage in the electricity network.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The price control is a matter for the independent regulator, Ofgem.Ofgem sets the price control with incentives to ensure Distribution Network Operators operate their networks in the most efficient manner. Ofgem have also used innovation funding to support trials and roll out of new technologies enabling Distribution Network Operators to manage voltage levels on the network to optimise system efficiency and drive down customer bills.The independent Electricity Engineering Standards Review, jointly commissioned by Government and Ofgem, is looking at how the planning and operational engineering standards should be updated to reflect our changing electricity system. This includes considering future changes to voltage limits set out in the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002.

Housing: Heating

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support off grid homes in rural areas decarbonise their home heating.

Kwasi Kwarteng: As stated in the Clean Growth Strategy (2017), the Government is committed to ‘phase out the installation of high carbon fossil fuel heating in homes not connected to the gas grid, starting with new homes, during the 2020s.’ The first part of this commitment, to decarbonise?new homes, is being met through the Future Home Standard, on which government consulted earlier this year. The Future Homes Standard will require new build homes to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency, and is set to be introduced in 2025. We are developing proposals for phasing out fossil fuel heating in existing homes in off-gas-grid areas and will be consulting on them in due course.Additionally, we are providing financial support to help decarbonise homes of the gas grid. This is being done through:The domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) – a support scheme for low carbon heat installations in domestic buildings that will remain open to new applicants until March 2022. As of July 2020, the domestic RHI has supported around 80,300 homes make the transition to low carbon heat.The Green Homes Grant – a government-funded voucher scheme launched in September 2020 to help consumers install energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures in their homes. This is available for domestic buildings in England, including rural properties, until March 2021. Under this new scheme, the government will fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements for over 600,000 homes.Further support will be provided from 2022 to 2024 through the Clean Heat Grant scheme. This will provide financial support to help consumers and small businesses transition to low carbon heating through the installation of heat pumps?and, in limited circumstances, biomass.

Housing: Energy

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what comparative assessment he has made of the average cost for an (a) off grid rural home and (b) urban home to meet average energy efficiency standards.

Kwasi Kwarteng: In the Clean Growth Strategy, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy stated the aspiration for as many homes as possible to be EPC Band C by 2035 where practical, cost-effective and affordable. As a result, it focusses its analysis on the cost of bringing homes up to this standard, rather than the current stock average. The recent PRS Regulations Consultation stage Impact Assessment shows the expected cost of upgrading rented homes up to EPC band C under different cost cap scenarios (table 12). It also shows costs assumptions for energy efficiency and heating systems (Tables 31-32).

Coronavirus: Disease Control

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to issue guidance to commercial property owners who wish to (a) improve or (b) modify their air flow, heating and air extraction systems to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Paul Scully: Evidence shows that proper ventilation can be used to mitigate the transmission risk of COVID-19, alongside other measures. Ventilation into the building should be optimised to ensure the maximum fresh air supply is provided to all areas of the facility wherever possible. Our workplace guidance includes a number of steps that will usually be needed to ensure that ventilation systems provide a good supply of fresh air. It is important that businesses check whether ventilation systems need to be services or adjusted. If businesses and employers are unsure we advise they seek advice from their heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineers or advisers. The workplace guidance broken down by business type/environment can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of applications to the Bounce Back Loan Scheme have been declined.

Paul Scully: As of 18 October, 1,336,320 loans have been approved under the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, with a total value of £40.20 billion. The Scheme has received 1,660,845 applications. The applications figure includes: approved applications; applications that are still to be processed; applications that have been declined; and applications that may turn out not to be eligible or cases where customers will decide not to proceed.

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to introduce additional regulation to (a) require and (b) support businesses to report ethnicity pay gaps.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory.

Paul Scully: In 2018/19 the Government consulted on options for employer-level ethnicity pay reporting. Following the consultation, Government met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers to reporting and explore what information could be published to allow for meaningful action to be taken. We also ran a voluntary methodology testing exercise with a broad range of businesses to better understand the complexities outlined in the consultation using real payroll data. The Government is continuing to analyse this data and will respond to the consultation in due course.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to deals the Government have signed related to finding a vaccine for covid-19, whether (a) pharmaceutical companies, (b) the Government or (c) both have the authority to declare an end to the pandemic.

Amanda Solloway: The World Health Organisation declared a coronavirus pandemic on 11 March 2020 and we would expect it to declare a move to a post-pandemic period as it has done previously for the H1N1 pandemic in 2010.

USA: Spaceflight

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to ensure that launch vehicles manufactured abroad by UK-based companies outsourcing their supply chains abroad are not classified as Foreign Launch Vehicles under Article 2 point 2 of the UK/USA Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom and the United States of America on Technology Safeguards associated with United States Participation in Space Launches from the United Kingdom [CS USA No.1/2020].

Amanda Solloway: The Government will follow the definition contained in the Agreement. The definitions in the Agreement are designed to capture all possible business and operational models for UK based launch operators and were drafted to enable maximum flexibility for UK companies.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason areas with similar infection rates are subject to different infection control measures.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The introduction of the new local COVID-19 alert levels brings standardisation and consistency to interventions and is intended to make it easier for the public to understand the rules that apply to them. Movement up and down through the levels is not driven solely by the infection rate. Local epidemiology, including rates of change and the demographic profile of cases, and insight including hospital capacity, are all taken into account when making the judgement about whether an area should be moved to a different alert level.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to an NHS eating disorder specialist for all people who need that treatment.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are committed to ensuring everyone with an eating disorder has access to timely treatment based on clinical need. We set up the first waiting times to improve access to eating disorders services for children and young people. By 2020/21, 95% of children and young people (up to the age of 19) referred for assessment or treatment for an eating disorder should receive National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved treatment within one week if the case is urgent, and four weeks if the case is routine/non-urgent. Latest figures show the National Health Service is on track to meet that standard.

Mental Health Services: Children

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that paediatric mental health services are financially supported to cope with a potential increase in referrals as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are committed through our NHS Long Term Plan to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24. This will see an additional 345,000 children and young people able to access support through National Health Service-funded services or school- and college-based mental health support teams.In 2018 we announced the first 25 trailblazer sites delivering 59 mental health support teams in and near schools and colleges with the first becoming operational earlier this year. In July 2019, NHS England confirmed a further 57 areas would develop 123 new mental health support teams and a number of these have been commissioned and training has begun.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the age limit for childcare support bubbles to include young teenagers.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government understands that sometimes working parents rely on informal childcare arrangements with friends and family. In local COVID alert level medium, friends and family can continue to provide childcare under the ‘rule of six’.In areas that are in local COVID alert level high and local COVID alert level very high risk areas, households are no longer able to mix. However, families can form a ‘childcare bubble’, to enable them to continue with informal childcare arrangements for their young children, aged 13 and under.The intention of childcare bubbles is to ensure families with young children who are not able to look after themselves for short periods of time can continue to use their informal childcare arrangements. The Government wants to balance the needs of families to continue to use informal childcare arrangements with the increased public health risks of inter-house mixing, including limiting opportunities for teenagers to mix together.

Coronavirus: Warrington

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific advice for the decision to introduce covid-19 lockdown restrictions in Warrington.

Ms Nadine Dorries: On Tuesday 22 September, restrictions were placed on Warrington and several other areas in North West England, West Yorkshire and the Midlands. Warrington was escalated to an ‘area of intervention’ through the Local Action Committee process.NHS Test and Trace, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England constantly monitor the levels of infection and other data on prevalence of the virus across the country to inform the Local Action Committee decision-making process. A wide range of indicators are monitored to ensure situational awareness across England. Data on local virus prevalence is published with detailed information provided to local systems, providing an early-warning system to enable early, preventative action.The epidemiological data for decisions made at the Local Action Committee are published, and the specific data for Warrington at that time is contained here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/919115/Contain_framework_lower_tier_local_authority_watchlist_-_maps_by_Lower_Super_Output_Area_-_18_September_2020.pdf

Coronavirus: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional infection control measures he will take in York in response to its infection rate reaching 114.4 per 100,000.

Ms Nadine Dorries: York is now in local alert level ‘high.’ The details of the restrictions within the ‘high’ alert level is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-level-highAdditional infection prevention and control measures include reinforcing and amplifying the prevention approaches such as reducing contacts, social distancing, hand hygiene, wearing of facial coverings.

Influenza: Vaccination

Robert Largan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many flu vaccine doses (a) have been administered and (b) will be made available in High Peak constituency for the 2020-21 winter period.

Jo Churchill: The information is not collected in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2020 to Question 75298, on how many occasions his Department has been supplied with faulty personal protective equipment products since 1 April 2020 by (a) UK-based and (b) overseas manufacturers; and what redress has been obtained.

Jo Churchill: The information is not collected in the format requested.

Obesity: Children

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on rates of childhood obesity.

Jo Churchill: No assessment has been made.

Children: Obesity

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  whether his Department has undertaken a ten year review of the outcomes of the Change4Life programme.

Jo Churchill: A 10-year review of the outcomes of the Change4Life programme has not been undertaken.

Members: Correspondence

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will answer the letter of  23rd June 2020 from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular and Venous Disease on the effect of the Covid-19 outbreak on people with vascular disease.

Helen Whately: I replied to the hon. Member’s letter on 28 September 2020.

Leisure: Coronavirus

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons leisure centres, gyms and soft play areas are (a) required to close in the Liverpool City Region and (b) permitted to stay open in Lancashire under the highest level covid-19 restrictions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The package of measures to be implemented in the Liverpool City Region when it moved to Local Covid Alert Level ‘very high’ was developed in close consultation with local authorities, taking into account local circumstances and insight. Following a request from the local authorities to revisit that package we have agree to re-open gyms and soft play areas in the Liverpool City Region, as they are currently in Lancashire.

Night Shelters: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to section 3.4 of his Department's publication of 13 October 2020 on COVID-19: provision of night shelters - Operating principles for commissioners and providers of night shelters for people experiencing rough sleeping,  whether cohorting is recommended as a response for a person who is (a) symptomatic of, (b) tested positive and (c) is identified as a contact of someone who has tested positive for covid-19 in any context other than accommodation for people experiencing rough sleeping.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The document ‘COVID-19: provision of night shelters - Operating principles for commissioners and providers of night shelters for people experiencing rough sleeping’ was published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and recommends cohorting in communal night shelters where isolation is not immediately possible. This approach is intended to mitigate some of the health risks when people do not have access to accommodation that helps to keep them safe from COVID-19, or who need care if they have symptoms or a positive test.For people in accommodation where they are able to self-isolate, the relevant guidance is available in ‘Stay at home: Guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19’ at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library all analysis commissioned by the Government of data relating to the effectiveness of local lockdowns.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Joint Biosecurity Centre will shortly be publishing a paper providing further analysis in relation to non-pharmaceutical interventions in local areas. This will add to materials that have already been placed in the public domain, including NHS Test and Trace statistics, surveys from the Office for National Statistics and analytical papers on local measures and non-pharmaceutical interventions presented to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) short and (b) long term effects of a potential further national covid-19 lockdown on the (i) physical and (ii) mental health of the population.

Ms Nadine Dorries: When making decisions on any COVID-19 restrictions the Government assess a wide range of data. At the core is an assessment of the rate of transmission, infection and death rate however, a wide range of other impacts are also assessed including the physical and mental health of the population. We understand how difficult the first national lockdown was for people and want to avoid the need for one by taking a localised approach as seen through the local alert levels.The Government is also absolutely committed to only having restrictions in place for as long as is necessary to protect public health, acknowledging the impact that they have on people’s lives.The evidence considered by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and used to support the Government’s response to COVID-19 is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/scientific-evidence-supporting-the-government-response-to-coronavirus-covid-19

Coronavirus: Funerals

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2020 to Question 98661 on Funerals: Coronavirus, what is defined as a funeral for the purposes of covid-19 restrictions on attendance, and what the policy is on multiple events for one deceased individual.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The current restrictions on social contact include an exemption for gathering to attend a funeral. Such a gathering can include no more than 30 people and must be held at a COVID-19 secure venue, not a private dwelling.A ‘commemorative event following a person’s death’ may be held following the funeral including a wake, stone setting or scattering of ashes. Commemorative events are limited to 15 people and also must be held at a COVID-19 secure venue and not a private dwelling.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the local covid-19 alert levels, whether  residents of a Tier 2 area are permitted to stay overnight with friends resident in a Tier 1 area, if social distancing is observed.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Persons resident in a local Covid alert level high area can only meet indoors with a person living in a local Covid alert medium, including staying overnight, whether socially distanced or not, if one of the exemptions apply. This includes where they are in linked households, otherwise known as a social bubble, amongst others.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out the criteria for moving a local area from tier two covid-19 restrictions to tier one.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Joint Biosecurity Centre closely monitors a range of data - case rates, hospital admissions, positivity and age distribution - to understand and track the spread of the virus across local areas. This data combined with local insight and professional judgement from local partners and leaders is used to make recommendations on the escalation and de-escalation of areas to Local COVID Alert Levels.Recommendations for the allocation of areas to Local COVID Alert Levels are made at a weekly meeting of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care-chaired Local Action Committee, with the Chief Medical Officer and senior representatives from NHS Test and Trace, Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England, before decisions are finalised, where necessary, by the COVID-O Cabinet Sub-Committee and the Prime Minister.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time from referral to appointment was for a CAMHS appointment to be provided in each clinical commissioning group area of England in each of the last three years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The information is not collected in the format requested.

Coronavirus: Wolverhampton

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the covid-19 restrictions in Wolverhampton announced on 22 September 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government is in constant and regular dialogue with local authorities and local Directors of Public Health about the situation across the different areas of England. This engagement and analysis by Public Health England and the Joint Biosecurity Centre ensure measures in all areas are being considered constantly. This allows timely local interventions to bring in stricter measures when needed, and also supports decisions about how and when areas will have restrictions loosened.Wolverhampton has regulations to prevent household mixing in private homes and gardens because transmission was being driven by households meeting each other. We know that the virus is spread by people, particularly when they are in close proximity of each other, so these restrictions reduce that risk. From 14 October, the interventions in force in Wolverhampton will prohibit household mixing in any indoors venue but allow people to meet up in groups of no more than six people in outdoor venues including gardens.

Coronavirus: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Director of Public Health in York since its covid-19 infection rate reached 114.4 per 100,000 cases.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Discussions with the Director of Public Health in York have included regular weekly meetings with Public Health England (PHE) regional team, ad hoc meetings with PHE regional team, monthly call including introduction to Joint Biosecurity Centre and Contain colleagues. These have included detailed discussions on the epidemiology and data analysis of the rates in the city of York, actions being taken locally, and support being provided through PHE/National Health Service Test and Trace.

Department for Education

Pupils: Disability

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to allocate additional funding to support children with complex disabilities to return to school during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: We know that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), along with their parents, carers and families, will have faced real difficulties during the COVID-19 outbreak. We have published a range of guidance to support children, families, carers and educational settings.We are increasing high needs funding for children with complex SEND by an extra £1.5 billion across this year and next year. We are also providing schools with an additional catch-up support worth £1 billion. Of this, £650 million has been committed towards a COVID-19 catch-up premium. This has been introduced to support mainstream and special schools to make up for lost teaching time upon a pupil’s return to school.All pupils have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, so schools’ allocations from the catch-up premium will be calculated on a per pupil basis. This will provide each mainstream school with a total of £80 for each pupil and special schools, alternative provision and hospital schools with £240 for each place, across the 2020-21 academic year. We have applied additional weighting to specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per-pupil costs that they face. However, all schools should use the total catch-up premium funding available to them as a single total from which to prioritise support for particular pupils, including children with SEND or education, health and care plans, according to their needs.Additionally, the Department for Education has worked with our partners, the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Education England, Public Health England and key voluntary sector organisations, to launch Wellbeing for Education Return. This project, backed by £8 million, is training local experts to provide additional advice and resources for schools and colleges to help support pupil, student, parent, carer and staff wellbeing, resilience and recovery in light of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown. It will give staff the confidence to support pupils, students, and their parents.

Pupils: Mental Health

Christian Wakeford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding from the catch-up premium introduced by the Government in response to the covid-19 outbreak is being spent on pastoral support by schools; what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of that funding to support all pupils’ mental health and wellbeing needs during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a resilience fund for the 2020-21 academic year to enable schools to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: Access to mental health support has been more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. To ensure that staff were equipped to support wellbeing as children and young people returned to schools and colleges, we made it a central part of our guidance on the return to school. The Department supported this with a range of training and materials, such as webinars and accelerating training on how to teach about mental health as part of the new Relationships, Sex and Health curriculum, so that all pupils can benefit from this long-term requirement.The Government has announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. School leaders have discretion over how to use this funding to best support the needs of their students, but we expect them to prioritise those who need the most catch up support. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) COVID-19 Support Guide is clear that interventions, including those focused on behaviour or pupils’ social and emotional needs, are likely to be important to support those who have fallen furthest behind. The EEF guidance is available here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/.We will not be assessing how schools use their catch-up premium, but understanding the impact of COVID-19 disruption on attainment and progress is a key research priority for the Government. We have commissioned an independent research and assessment agency to consider catch up needs and monitor progress over the course of the year.The £1 billion catch-up package is on top of the £2.6 billion increase this year in school budgets that was announced last year, as part of a £14 billion three year funding settlement, recognising the additional work schools will need to do to help students to catch up. Additionally, the national funding formula (NFF) continues to target funding to areas which have the greatest numbers of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year, the NFF will allocate £6.3 billion in funding for pupils with additional needs, or 18% of the formula’s total funding.To provide further support during the autumn and spring terms the Department has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Health Education England and Public Health England, as well as key voluntary sector organisations, to launch Wellbeing for Education Return. This project, backed by £8 million, will train local experts to provide additional training, advice and resources to schools and colleges, to help support pupil and student wellbeing, resilience, and recovery. It will give staff the confidence to support pupils and students, their parents, carers and their own colleagues, and know how and where to access appropriate specialist support where needed.To increase support further in the long term, we remain committed to our joint green paper delivery programme with DHSC and NHS England, including introducing new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, providing training for senior mental health leads in schools and colleges, and testing approaches in order to provide quicker access to NHS specialist support.

Pupils: Disability

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to monitor the safe return to school for children with complex needs during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: The COVID-19 outbreak has been extremely challenging for many families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Supporting them continues to be a priority for this government, and their wellbeing has been central to our response throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.We are monitoring the safe return to school for children with complex needs during the COVID-19 outbreak, through monitoring attendance data and engaging with local authorities where there appear to be issues. We are also working closely with Public Health England to ensure we maintain joint up-to-date guidance about support in schools and colleges, for children and young people with complex needs.Additionally, the department’s SEND advisers and case leads have had regular engagement with all local authorities to support and monitor SEND practice from the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. They are also providing regular briefings for local authorities, to support their understanding of guidance and help them understand how to use it in practice.We have also paused area SEND inspections and commissioned Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission to deliver a series of interim visits, which began this month, to understand children and young people’s experiences and learn from what has worked well for them in this time. These visits help to support local areas to prioritise and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. They also enable learning for all local areas, government and stakeholders on how best to rebuild a better SEND system in future through a series of national reports.

Ministry of Justice

Crime Prevention

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to provide funding for social policies to (a) reduce crime and (b) improve rehabilitation of offenders.

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department makes of the effect of proposed social policies on the reduction of crime.

Lucy Frazer: In the year ending September 2019, 80% of offenders receiving a caution or conviction had at least one previous caution or conviction. Therefore, if we want to reduce crime then we must tackle reoffending.The drivers of reoffending are complex, which the Criminal Justice System cannot address alone. That is why we are taking a renewed cross-government approach to tackle the drivers of reoffending across both custody and community.We have already invested in a number of initiatives to enhance rehabilitation and reduce crime. Our £6 million accommodation pilot scheme in Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol operating since August 2019, has enrolled 323 individuals. In July we announced the Prison Leavers Project confirming £20 million of funding, aiming to support local leadership, identify innovative new ways to address reoffending and improve the social inclusion of those leaving prison.We have also increased the probation budget by 17% this year to over £1.1 billion and will ensure the probation service continues to have the resources it needs to protect the public and reduce reoffending. Under the probation reform programme, the private and voluntary sector can still bid for a range of contracts for rehabilitation and resettlement support through the Dynamic Framework. We anticipate eventually spending over £100 million a year on these services.Last year, we announced a £2.5 billion programme to reform the prison estate and provide 10,000 additional prison places. We will deliver four new prisons that boost rehabilitation and cut reoffending, providing improved security and additional training facilities to help offenders find employment on release. This forms a major part of our plans to transform the prison estate and create environments where offenders can be more effectively rehabilitated and turn their backs on crime.An experimental statistical report showed that among those who committed an offence in the two years prior to engaging with treatment, 44% did not go on to reoffend in the two years following treatment (MoJ, PHE, 2017). Therefore, we support delivery of NHS England’s care after custody service, RECONNECT, for prison leavers with vulnerabilities, who would otherwise struggle to engage with community health services.It is our ambition to go further and build on work that is already underway, focusing on improving accommodation, employment and substance misuse treatment outcomes for individuals that come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.

Prisoners Release: Coronavirus

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in prisons and young offender institutions have been granted temporary release under each of the three categories eligible for Covid-19 Release on Temporary Licence on Compassionate Grounds.

Lucy Frazer: On 31 March, we announced that pregnant women and prisoners with their babies in custody will be considered for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) on compassionate grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 30 September, 25 pregnant women and mothers with babies in custody have been released.In addition, prisoners identified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ as defined in the NHS guidelines also merit consideration for ROTL on compassionate grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 30 September, 29 extremely vulnerable individuals have been released. This brings the total number of compassionate releases to 54.The Ministry of Justice now publishes a monthly release of Covid-19 related statistics. This includes the number of prisoners that have been released from custody under Covid-19 temporary release schemes. The statistical release can be found here each month: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly.Alongside the careful release of low-risk offenders, we have also implemented our compartmentalisation strategy to manage different cohorts of the prison population, are working to expedite remand cases, and have expanded the estate through the installation of temporary single occupancy units. We will keep those in our care safe by limiting the spread of COVID-19 in prisons, while maintaining public protection.

Prisons: Disclosure of Information

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2020 to Question 99603, Prisons: Disclosure of Information; which trade unions have received drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents; and on what date did they receive that information.

Lucy Frazer: Consultation has taken place with the following trade unions: Prison Officers’ Association, Prison Governors’ Association, PCS, Prospect, GMB, FDA, Napo and Unison. Consultation with HMPPS trade unions re-started, following a break due to the current pandemic, on 21st October 2020.

Prison Officers: Health

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of band 3-5 (a) male and (b) female prison officers who have been unable to continue in their current role due to the result of a fitness test in the latest period for which figures are available.

Lucy Frazer: All prison officers who joined the service after April 2001 must pass an annual fitness test in order to remain a prison officer. Staff who do not meet the annual fitness test standard will be provided with advice and support by a fitness assessor on achieving and maintaining the required fitness level. Staff have three attempts to pass before a decision will be required on the individuals’ future which may mean dismissal on medical grounds or re-grading.Table 1 shows the number of third attempt failures for 2018-19 for male and female staff members for each quarter. Table 2 shows the same data for 2019 – 20. HMPPS do not currently hold data on how many of these failures resulted in a change of role. Table 1 -Year 2018-20193rd Test FailsMaleFemaleApril – June14July - September25October – December14January – March02TOTAL415% of total tests taken0.02%0.10% Table 2 -Year 2019-20203rd Test FailsMaleFemaleApril – June27July - September07October – December14January – March12TOTAL420% of total tests taken0.02%0.10% The fitness test is designed for the minimum levels of fitness required to perform the role of a Prison officer safely and effectively. Therefore, it is testing physical suitability for the job and is designed to be gender neutral.

Immigration: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the lodging of applications to the (a) Upper Tribunal, (b) Court of Appeal and (c) Administrative Court online will continue after the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: All existing methods for applicants to submit cases for lodgement in the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal and Administrative Court will continue both during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Demonstrations

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussion he has had with Cabinet colleagues about creating additional legal protections for the right to protest.

Alex Chalk: Peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society. It is a long-standing tradition in this country that people are free to gather together and to demonstrate their views, however uncomfortable these may be to the majority of us, provided that they do so within the law.There is, of course, a balance to be struck. Protestors’ rights need to be balanced with the rights of others to go about their business without fear of intimidation or serious disruption to the community. Rights to peaceful protest do not extend to violent or threatening behaviour and the police have powers to deal with any such acts.

Human Rights

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to review the effectiveness of the right to (a) freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and (b) receive information under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Alex Chalk: The UK is committed to protecting and respecting human rights. We have a longstanding tradition of ensuring rights and liberties are protected domestically and of fulfilling our international human rights obligations.The Government is committed to upholding the right to freedom of expression. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to recorded information held by UK public authorities. We have no plans for a review of these rights.

Probate

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to (a) resolve conflicts which arise between contract and probate law when the nominated completion date for sale of a property postdates the vendor's death but precedes probate being granted to their beneficiaries and (b) provide for affected contracts to be automatically extended or nullified on the death of the vendor.

Alex Chalk: There are no current plans to bring forward legislation as these cases are exceptional, and the existing law provides for the means of resolving disputes arising in such circumstances. Nevertheless, the Government will keep this area of law under review and would welcome any examples of problems that have arisen.Generally, where one of the contracting parties to the sale of a property dies before the completion of the sale, their legal responsibilities transfer to their personal representatives. They are able to enter into discussions with the other party to vary the contract (for example extend it) by mutual agreement.If no such agreement can be reached, the Probate Registry can operate an emergency system to expedite the Grant of Probate or for a limited Grant of Probate to be issued. This may be used to enable the sale of the property to take place with minimum delay.If probate is unlikely to be granted before a fixed completion date, the personal representatives may agree to allow the buyer into the property on licence pending formal completion.In addition, Section 113 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 empowers a court to grant probate or administration in respect of any part of a deceased person’s estate, limited as a court feels is appropriate to the circumstances of the case.

Victim Support Schemes: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to provide support to young victims affected by backlogs in the youth courts.

Alex Chalk: The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring young victims of crime receive the support they need during this challenging time.That is why throughout the pandemic, we have worked closely with criminal justice agencies and victim and witness support services, to ensure victims are kept well informed through regular communications and guidance. We are also working across government and with key stakeholders through our Covid-19 Victim and Witness Silver Command Group, which allows us to monitor and respond to emerging risks and issues, such as those impacting young victims at court.The Government has also funded Barnardo’s See Hear Respond service, offering rapid support for children, young people and families, to help them cope with the Covid-19 crisis.Alongside this, the Court-Based Witness Service continues to provide emotional and practical support to all witnesses, including children, to help them give their best evidence in criminal proceedings, with young, vulnerable and intimidated witnesses eligible for further outreach support prior to attending court. This will often include home visits, or remote meetings during Covid-19.In consultation with Public Health England, and Public Health Wales, HMCTS has put in place arrangements for social distancing and mitigation of the risks associated with the pandemic. These arrangements have, since July, enabled Youth Courts to conclude more cases every week than have been received, with the safety of all those involved in these hearings being paramount. We do not currently envisage that it will be necessary to revert to any contingency listing arrangements during a second wave of covid-19.

Victim Support Schemes: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 October 2020 to Question 96135, what plans he has to extend the emergency funding for victim support charities and helplines throughout a second wave of the covid-19 outbreak.

Alex Chalk: We remain committed to ensuring victims of crime receive the support they need during this challenging time and continue to work across government, with the sector and local bodies to identify emerging needs.In response to concerns, we have extended the funding period from 31st October to allow organisations to spend the Covid-19 funding until the end March 2021.

Victim Support Schemes: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support the welfare of victim support staff during the covid-19 outbreak.

Alex Chalk: The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in demand for victim support services, resulting in increased pressure on victim support staff. We recognise the impact the continued delivery of critical support has on providers. The Ministry of Justice is committed to ensuring victims of crime, and the organisations that work with them, receive the support they need during this challenging time. We continue to work across government and in partnership with key stakeholders, including through the Covid-19 Victim and Witness Silver Command Group, which allows us to remain alert, and respond quickly to emerging issues and risks that support services raise including those related to staff wellbeing and resilience.We have now distributed £22 million emergency Covid-19 funding, benefiting more than 540 charities. An additional £600,000 funding was reallocated by the Ministry of Justice to assist victim support helpline services. Following the Prime Minister's Hidden Harms Summit, the government also committed to developing a Victim Funding Strategy, which aims to place the support sector on a more sustainable footing and ensure victim support staff are able to deliver their vital work.Much of the emergency funding has been used to provide additional support for staff. For example, for sexual violence and domestic abuse services, investment has been made in increasing IT infrastructure to allow staff to provide support remotely, providing extra clinical and safeguarding support to maintain staff welfare, and funding extra PPE equipment and deep cleaning costs for organisations returning to face-to-face support.We have also invested in providing support and networking sessions to support Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) through this period of change, so that they can continue to help victims feel informed and supported at every stage of their recovery journey.

Security Industry Authority

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has been made of the potential merits of including Security Industry Authority licenced security staff in the provisions of the Assault on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018.

Alex Chalk: Everyone has the right to feel safe at work and an assault on any person whilst carrying out their job is completely unacceptable.The Government has no current plans to extend the definition of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 to other workers. The Act was specifically created in response to an increasing rise in assaults on front-line emergency workers, those who are enforcing the law or saving lives.However, a wide range of criminal offences currently exist that cover the type of abuse or violence that could be faced by any worker, including security staff, from common assault to attempted murder. Sentencing guidelines state that where an assault is committed against a person who works with the public this will be considered as an aggravating factor, meriting a higher sentence.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Nigeria: Overseas Aid

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether UK development funding for the Nigeria Countering Organised Crime and Corruption programme has (a) directly and (b) indirectly been used to support Nigeria's Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

James Duddridge: The UK Government's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund's (CSSF) Countering Organised Crime and Corruption programme, which supports capacity building of Anti-Kidnap Coordination Units in Nigeria, has not provided any support or training to Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) units or officers.Through our CSSF-funded Nigeria Policing Programme, which ended in March 2020, FSARS officers participated in training on amended Nigerian police guidance designed to improve human rights, training on public finance, and community policing workshops. The Nigeria Policing Programme was part of our Security and Justice Reform Programme, which is working to help deliver a criminal justice system that better protects the human rights of all Nigerians. Through our support to the CSSF-funded North East Public Safety and Security Programme (part of which is delivered jointly with USAID) three radios issued to Borno Police Command police units working to improve local security and to counter violent extremist organisations were distributed to the local FSARS Unit. These were returned after FSARS was disbanded. The North East Public Safety and Security Programme is part of our North East Nigeria Security, Conflict and Stabilisation Programme, working to help stabilise one of Nigeria's poorest and most fragile regions.The UK Government will continue to support police reform in Nigeria, working with the Nigerian Government and international and civil society partners to improve the accountability and responsiveness of the Nigerian Police Force in line with its human rights obligations. The Nigerian authorities must uphold human rights and the rule of law, investigate any incidents of police brutality and hold those responsible to account. We will continue to monitor the response to the recent protests closely.

Diplomatic Service: Overseas Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of his Department's Official Development Assistance budget was spent on frontline diplomatic activity in 2019.

James Cleverly: Statistics on International Development (SID) - which is a national statistic - provides an overview of official UK spend on international development, including a breakdown of types of spend. Frontline Diplomatic Activity is recorded as 'Administrative costs not included elsewhere' using Sector Purpose code 91010. The SID covering spending for 2019 and the accompanying data was published on GOV.UK on 24 September, and can be viewed through the following links:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/927135/Statistics_on_International_Development_Final_UK_Aid_Spend_2019.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/921034/Data_Underlying_SID_2019.ods

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review: Overseas Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to include an updated UK aid strategy in the Integrated Review.

James Duddridge: In light of the decision to move to a one-year Spending Review, we are considering the implications for the completion of the Integrated Review, and will provide an update in due course

Nigeria: Violence

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports he has received on allegations of police violence towards protestors in the Lekki suburb of Lagos on 20 October 2020; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing sanctions against the Nigerian Government and officials if they are found to be involved in human rights abuses.

James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned by violence during protests in Lagos and other major cities in Nigeria, including reports of casualties. We offer our condolences to the families of those affected. The Foreign Secretary issued a statement on 21 October calling for an end to the violence and for the Nigerian Government to urgently investigate reports of brutality by its security forces and hold those responsible to account. I reiterated these messages when I spoke to Foreign Minister Onyeama on 23 October. The British High Commissioner in Abuja continues to raise the protests with representatives of the Nigerian Government.The UK Government has made clear to the Nigerian authorities at the highest levels the importance of protecting human rights for all. We encourage all parties to work together to enable the people of Nigeria to exercise their rights safely, peacefully and in line with the rule of law. On 6 July, the UK Government established the Global Human Rights sanctions regime by laying regulations in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. This sanctions regime gives the UK a powerful new tool to target individuals involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review.

Overseas Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to increase (a) the number of Departments administering Official Development Assistance (ODA) and (b) the proportion of ODA spending administered by his Department, excluding the cross-government funds, over the next five years.

James Cleverly: As with all public expenditure, HM Treasury allocates Official Development Assistance funding to departments at each Spending Review. As announced on 21st October 2020, the Chancellor has decided to conduct a one-year Spending Review in order to prioritise the response to COVID-19, and our focus on supporting jobs. We expect this process to conclude in late November.

Ministry of Defence

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2020 to Question 86598, whether the 12 July 2020 air-strike in Washah was among the incidents entered on the MOD Tracker.

James Heappey: Yes, the alleged 12 July 2020 air-strike in Washah is among the incidents entered on the MOD Tracker.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2020 to Question 86598, whether the 16 December 2018 air-strike on a water transport truck in Al Sawadyah was among the 528 incidents entered on the MOD Tracker as of 30 April 2020.

James Heappey: No, the alleged 16 December 2018 air-strike on a water transport truck in Al-Sawadyah was not among the 528 incidents entered on the MOD Tracker as of 30 April 2020. This incident was added to the tracker after 30 April 2020.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Deer: Conservation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to manage the risk posed by sika deer to red deer.

Rebecca Pow: Deer management is a devolved matter and this answer therefore relates to England only. The Government recognises that sika deer present a threat to native red deer, largely because of the potential for hybridisation. Sika deer occur in localised areas within the North and the South of England with smaller isolated wild populations elsewhere. Studies have shown there has been minimal large-scale hybridisation among populations in the South of England but there is greater evidence of this occurring in the North. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is an offence to release Sika deer or its hybrid or allow it to escape into the wild. The responsibility for deer management lies with individual landowners. Where deer are causing damage or pose a health and safety risk, landowners are recommended to participate in local management groups, or to set one up where a group does not already exist. These groups bring together those with interests in a local area, for example residents, land managers, and conservation groups. Where necessary, action can involve a managed cull to reduce population densities. On the Public Forest Estate deer are managed by Forestry England for example to prevent their range from increasing.

Cats: Electronic Tagging

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the compulsory microchipping of cats; and when he plans for those regulations to come into effect.

Victoria Prentis: The Government is committed to improving the welfare of cats and has a manifesto commitment to introduce compulsory microchipping of cats. In October 2019 Defra published a call for evidence on compulsory microchipping for cats, which attracted over 3,000 responses. We will be publishing a summary of the responses alongside the launch of a public consultation shortly.

Food: Imports

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to bring forward legislative proposals to ensure domestic food standards are applied imported products.

Victoria Prentis: The UK Government will not compromise on our standards. Our manifesto is clear that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. We remain firmly committed to upholding our high environmental protection, food safety and animal welfare standards outside the EU. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains our standards on environmental protections, animal welfare, animal and plant health and food safety at the end of the transition period. This includes existing import requirements and provides a firm basis for maintaining the same high level of protection for both domestic and imported products. These import standards include a ban on using artificial growth hormones in domestic and imported products and set out that no products, other than potable water, are approved to decontaminate poultry carcasses. Any changes to existing food safety legislation would require new legislation to be brought before this Parliament.

Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Water Industry (Schemes for Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011; and whether he plans to extend the provisions of those Regulations to include private waste water pumps not otherwise included within the Regulations.

Rebecca Pow: Section 42 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 allows for the automatic adoption of private sewers for new developments by sewerage companies if implemented. The Government is currently reviewing the economic case for implementation of Section 42 and will take into account the lessons learnt from The Water Industry (Schemes of Adoption of Private Sewers) Regulations 2011, which expired in June 2018, when considering the scope of any new regulations and their application to sewerage infrastructure such as private waste water pumps.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) she, (b) officials in her Department and (c) political advisors in her Department have briefed members of the press with the name of the (i) law firm and (ii) lawyer that represents individuals the Home Office is attempting to remove under the Dublin III regulations in the last six months.

Chris Philp: The Home Secretary, Home Office officials and political advisors have not briefed members of the press with either the name of the law firm or lawyer that represent individuals the Home Office is attempting to remove under the Dublin III regulations in the last six months.The names of law firms and lawyers involved in legal cases are publicly available.

Skilled workers: Brexit

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to develop skilled workers to administer UK borders (a) prior to and (b) after the end of the transition period.

Chris Philp: Border Force is recruiting sufficient additional frontline staff to ensure full operational readiness at the UK border for the end of the Transition Period and the introduction of new immigration and customs controls from Jan 2021. New Border Force staff receive a comprehensive package of training prior to operational deployment. comprehensive guidance and training plans have been developed to upskill BF frontline officers in new policy, process and system changes for the end of the Transition Period. Initial training is further reinforced and supplemented by on the job mentoring once new staff have been deployed to UK ports.

Osime Brown

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to (a) ensure that Osime Brown is not deported from the UK and (b) is not detained pending a final decision on deportation; and what assessment she has made of the support he requires for his diagnosed health conditions pending this decision.

Chris Philp: We only ever return those who we and, where applicable, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK. Mr Brown was not detained but released on Immigration Bail at the end of his custodial sentence. It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.

Asylum: Coronavirus

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the electronic submission of accompanying evidence for asylum applications electronically  will continue following the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: Covid-19 has created both challenges and the opportunity to explore new working practices for the Home Office. Whilst certain documents have been accepted electronically, we consider it is likely we will still need to see certain original document where appropriate in the future.However, business practices are kept under review and new ways of working which have been implemented to cope with current restrictions, where they have been successful, may be continued beyond the current Covid-19 related restrictions.

Police: Recruitment

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to encourage people of a broad age range to apply to join the police.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers over the next three years.The 20,000 officer uplift is a once in a generation opportunity to enable all forces become more representative of the communities they serve. We are already seeing applications from a wide range of candidates with diverse backgrounds and from a range of ages who are bringing unique skillsets and experience to the police service.We are supporting forces with a variety of attraction and recruitment strategies, whilst delivering a campaign that’s been designed to reach the widest and most diverse audience possible including those who have never considered a policing career. Sharing best practice, engagement with police associations, upskilling recruitment teams and enhanced data capture are just some of the efforts being made to improve police diversity.Amendments to Police Regulations made this year mean that individuals can apply to join the police at 17 years of age for appointment on reaching 18 years, opening the way for candidates wishing to apply to join the police.

Cabinet Office

Death

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) number and (b) pattern of excess deaths.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.UKSA response PQ106875 (pdf, 99.0KB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Rugby: Coronavirus

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the (a) level of fiscal support available to Premiership Rugby clubs in response to the covid-19 outbreak and (b) potential merits of increasing that support.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government recognises the impact that Covid-19 is having on the sporting sector and our multi-billion-pound package of business support has enabled many of our sports clubs to survive. We have provided unprecedented support to businesses through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support, which many sport clubs have benefited from. Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund has also provided £210 million directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic. The Government has also supported elite sports to return to "behind closed doors" competition, which enabled vital broadcast revenue, retained competitive integrity and brought joy to millions of sports fans. The safety and security of players and spectators remains of paramount importance. Work continues at pace to find solutions that will allow crowds safely back into stadia as soon as possible. This includes the creation of a new Sports Technology Innovation Working Group of sporting bodies and health experts to analyse new technologies which might support this. Ministers and officials will continue to engage with Premiership Rugby as part of this process. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is also working with HM Treasury on what can be done to provide further support.

Horse Racing: Coronavirus

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of the tier system of covid-19 restrictions on the horse racing industry.

Nigel Huddleston: Horse Racing behind closed doors continues to operate throughout the UK in line with government guidance and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) protocols.The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has indicated that 1,565 Licensed Betting Offices (LBOs) are closed as part of the Tier 3 restrictions affecting the Liverpool City Region, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and Warrington. The BGC have estimated a loss of nearly £2.7million per month to the horse racing industry in media rights (payable to broadcast races) and levy income, based on the current amounts generated in levy and media payments.The government will continue to work with the sector to understand the issues faced by organisations facing the most challenging circumstances

Sportsgrounds: Coronavirus

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the (a) German and (b) South Korean Governments on allowing spectators into sports stadia during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: My department has had no such recent discussions with the German or South Korean Governments. Officials in my department engage regularly with a range of representatives to discuss a variety of issues related to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on my department’s areas of responsibility.The government recognises that fans will be disappointed that sports pilot events were paused and that spectators were not able to be admitted to stadia from 1 October. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with HM Treasury on what can be done to provide further support. The Department will also continue to work with colleagues across Whitehall to support the sector, to review best practice globally, and to return fans to sports stadia when it is safe to do so.

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional support for (a) fairgrounds and other outdoor events and (b) the wider events sector during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department has taken a number of steps to support fairgrounds, other outdoor events, as well as the broader events sector through Covid-19.The events sector has been able to access support such as the Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounce Back Loans scheme. We have also cut the rate of VAT applied on most tourism and hospitality-related activities, including admission to circuses and fairs, from 20% to 5% until March 2021.On 22 October, the Chancellor increased the reach of the Government’s winter support schemes to further help businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19, including those in the events sector. Measures include doubling the size of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme Extension Grant so that it covers 40% of previous earnings.We continue to meet with stakeholders, including through the Visitor Economy Working Group and the Events and Entertainment Working Group, to monitor the ongoing impacts on the sector.

Football: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason a maximum of 300 spectators are allowed to attend football matches at Step 7 of the pyramid but not in steps 5 and 6 during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: The safety and security of players and spectators is of paramount importance.On Tuesday 22 September it was announced that all sports pilot events currently ongoing would be paused with immediate effect, due to the sharp upward trajectory of Covid-19 cases. As set out in our Roadmap, sports events pilots, and the full return of fans to stadia would only ever take place when it was safe to do so.Under government guidance non-elite sport clubs are able to admit spectators, whilst adhering to COVID-19 guidance. It is up to the respective governing bodies to determine what constitutes the boundary between elite and non-elite within their sports, and consider any appropriate additional regulation including total spectator numbers should that be appropriate within their sport.

Women and Equalities

Equality Act 2010

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 September 2020 entitled Government Equalities Office Update, HCWS462 what steps she is taking to help ensure that (a) her Department, (b) the Equality and Human Rights Commission and (c) other public bodies produce statutory guidance on the provision of single-sex exemptions consistent with the Equality Act 2010.

Kemi Badenoch: The government believes that the protection of single-sex spaces, as provided for in the Equality Act, is important. The Act makes clear that providers have the right to restrict the use of spaces on the basis of sex, and exclude transgender people, with or without a Gender Recognition Certificate, if this is justified.At this stage, we are not proposing further legislative guidance but we will keep this under review. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is independent of the government and makes its own decisions in relation to drafting the guidance that it creates and publishes.

Commission On Race and Ethnic Disparities

Marco Longhi: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities is taking to ensure people in (a) the UK and (b) Dudley North constituency can engage with the work of the Commission.

Kemi Badenoch: Since the Prime Minister established the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities in July of this year, the Commission has been busy meeting with key delivery partners and agencies from around the UK in each of its priority areas of health, education, employment and enterprise and crime and policing. They have also held evidence gathering sessions with a range of external stakeholders and influencers, and will shortly be setting out a public call for evidence; details of which will be announced in due course.Its work will be crucial in informing and improving the national conversation on race and ethnicity, and demonstrates this government’s mission to level up opportunity for everyone whatever their background.